Bhubaneswar: The Saheed Nagar Durga Puja pandal in Bhubaneswar, a stunning blend of various architectural styles, has become a major attraction this Durga Puja season.
Dubbed the by the organizers as “Myriad Palace”, the pandal stands 105 feet high and 120 feet wide, combining elements from temple, castle, and Arabic architectural designs.
Celebrating its 47th anniversary, the Saheed Nagar Durga Puja Samiti decided to create something unique rather than replicating existing themes.
“Instead of replicating a theme, we wanted to innovate. The youth members of our club came up with the idea of this distinctive design,” said Saroj Kumar Patra, Working President of the Saheed Nagar Durga Puja Samiti.
The massive pandal is an eco-friendly structure made primarily of bamboo and plywood. Around 50 artisans from Kolkata worked for about one and a half months to construct the remarkable structure, according to Patra.
A 17-foot-high idol of Goddess Durga, adorned with a 2-kilogram gold crown, is the centerpiece of the pandal. The idol is accompanied by a large silver tableau weighing approximately 170 kilograms, crafted by skilled artisans from Cuttack.
In addition to the spectacular display, a variety of offerings such as traditional pancakes like manda and kakera, as well as laddus, fruits, and sweets, are being offered to the deity as Prasad. The organizers have also arranged for the distribution of Prasad to devotees throughout the festival.
To ensure the safety of visitors, around 24 CCTV cameras have been installed at the venue, and 100 volunteers along with armed security personnel have been deployed for crowd control and security.
